How thick is the transom on a DS1?

[Solarwinds]

My DS1 has a 1/2" drain just astern of the centerboard which doesn't really allow for efficient draining or cleaning of the boat.
I want to add a drain at the bottom of the transom. Can anybody tell me how thick the transom is there so I know before I drill
the hole? I guess I'm going to add a 1" brass tube that I'll have to flange, etc. etc.
Is that the drain that most of you have?

[GreenLake]

You should be able to get a fitting that's the correct size.

Mine has an undersized fitting for which apparently nobody makes drain plugs any more.

[Solarwinds]

My transom has no drain at all. I wanted to know the thickness of the transom before I drill a hole so I don't run into anything that will delay my putting a new drain in. Is the transom on a 60's era DS1 sandwiched with a wood core or is it just fiberglass and gelcoat? So, anybody know how thick it is?

[GreenLake]

Mine ('63) seems to have a vertical reinforcement glassed onto the middle of the transom, making that section thicker.

I suggested you source a complete drain assembly rather than messing with brass pipe. If you prefer to make your own, bronze would be more corrosion resistant than brass. Or use nylon or whatever the plastic is that's used for fitting like that.

For the thickness of your transom (which is the one that counts, and there's no guarantee that even boats of the same era are truly identical) I would suggest a pilot hole. Something really small, so that you can seal it temporarily with a bit of duct tape while your drain is on order.

If the thickness doesn't match perfectly, it should be easy enough to either chisel / grind away a bit of a depression on the inside of the transom, or, conversely, add a bit of laminate to increase the thickness to match.

[Rummel]

I've been spending a lot of time with my 59 ds1 transom lately.
Thickness is approx 5/16
Installed two new brass garboard plugs, one in bilge by centerboard trunk and one in the transom. Some 5200 and 3 screws and bobs your uncle.
I bought mine at bass pro.

[Rummel]

The transom on my boat is not cored at all.
I know because my boat had some damage to the transom.
Wound up completely grinding out about a 8x6 hole where the po mounted an outboard with no backing.

[Solarwinds]

Those of you that have drains in the transom, do you have:
a plastic fitting with a hard plastic plug or
a 1 in. brass pipe with a compressible rubber plug or
an all brass fitting with a screw-in brass plug (garboard)
Because I went to the store to buy something and I really couldn't decide (I'M HAVING ONE OF THOSE DAYS)

[GreenLake]

Bronze pipe (not brass). Makes a difference in corrosion resistance.

And not 1" unfortunately, but an older, smaller size for which nobody makes plugs any more. If you find a good source for a complete bronze fitting (for use with rubber plug), I may be interested in installing an upgrade.

[Solarwinds]

They're all brass not bronze like this:
http://www.iboats.com/Brass-Drain-Tube- ... AkYF8P8HAQ
They make them shorter, but I hesitate to buy this because, if the thickness of the hull is just 5/16" , I think:
1) It'll be hard to turn the flange on the other end and
2) I can't see spending $35.00 on a flanging tool to put in a $ 5.00 part that I'll only use once.

[GreenLake]

This really doesn't look like the correct part. Don't know whether you sail only lakes, but if there's a chance the boat will ever be in salt water this doesn't sound like the correct metal.

If there are plastic transom drains, why not get one of those? I have another dinghy that has the plastic screw in drain, with captive screw (so it doesn't fall out if open). It's mounted so the drain is operated from the outside. Seems to work just fine.